Another Day
by servant123
Summary: Merlin was never in the tavern, and he was rarely slacking off, and despite what Merlin refuses to say, Arthur is sure he has an interesting story to tell, a story "for another day," his friend says. And so the king persists in asking for it, he asks as times change and destinies are fulfilled, and finally, tomorrow comes... and it's "another day."


**Here I am again! Not with any of the long-planned and dwelled-upon stories I was expecting, but with a completely random plot-bunny that accosted me about two hours ago. Do plot bunnies always attack you at ridiculously late hours? Because this seems to be developing into a habit for me…**

**ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoy this. Set post-S4, but without spoilers for any specific episodes, only know that Arthur and Gwen are married and ruling Camelot together.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin**

- ~ o ~ -

It was a typical mid-morning for the two almost-brothers. (Past the servant-shouting, goblet-throwing part, that is to say,) and Arthur was talking about the more interesting council meetings he'd been heading. They'd been pushing hard to accomplish peace, but the some of the councilors were dragging things; not happy with the measures they were taking, but unwilling just to get it all out in the open where it could be sorted out and dealt-with; all too concerned with court masks and other equally annoying things.

"It's good, amidst everything else, to know you have someone you trust, isn't it?" said Arthur, a light smile on his face. He had grown out of his abrasive style some time back (not surprisingly around the time he gained his lovely wife) and he was now perfectly happy to call Merlin a friend. "You've been a great friend to me Merlin, especially in these past months, with all the changes being pushed around the council. I've always been able to count on your advice, more than most of my councilors actually," and they laughed a bit.

"They can be a rather useless lot at times, can't they?" Merlin quipped as he cleared the king's breakfast dishes.

"They can be far too caught up in the political niceties. Sometimes it's just better to say things straight and forget about not offending people for once. I can count on you for that, though. Never had to worry about you pampering my ego, did I?"

"Obviously you've gotten too much of that already, why should I bother? Honestly, I'm surprised they haven't had to resize your crown yet-" Merlin supplied, the ending slightly less eloquent for his dodging a projectile or two from the king as he moved over towards the dressing screen.

"Yes, I can definitely count on you for that. You'd never lie to me, would you, Merlin?"

At the lack of reply, he turned back to face his servant, the light grin fading now for a slightly questioning look.

"_Mer_lin…"

"Yes, Sire?" His servant replied, still avoiding eye-contact.

"Surely you'd never have reason to lie to me, would you?"

"Well… lie about what?"

"You broke something again, didn't you? I just hope for your sake it wasn't valuable or I might be obliged to reacquaint you with your old friend, the stocks. You haven't paid them a visit in quite some time, now that I think of it. Yes, a get-together would be quite nice, don't you think?" Arthur spoke, a widening grin changing his face once again as he teased his servant.

"Ha-ha. You're so clever," was Merlin's sarcastic reply.

"'Ha-ha. You're so clever'?" Arthur mocked good-naturedly. "C'mon Merlin, surely you can come up with something better than that? Merlin?" Arthur's teasing tone shifting downwards at the sight of his less-than-cheery friend. Thinking back a moment, Arthur picked up on Merlin's train of thought just before he replied.

~ o ~

Merlin hated all the lies, but kept a light smile on his face. Admitting that he wasn't always honest with his dearest friend wasn't so harsh an idea anymore, with the hope of a united, and free, Albion on the horizon, always just behind it. "It won't be too much longer now," was the happy thought more frequently drifting into his thoughts these days. It was also why he didn't have so much trouble answering Arthur now.

"I've not always been honest with you, you know," the light grin on his face keeping his master from taking it too seriously.

"Really?" Arthur answered, slightly puzzled as to where this was going.

"Do you really think that I like drinking so much as Gwaine that I could lose myself in a tavern for days at a time? I'd hope you'd know be better than that by now." He said with a smirk.

Arthur's puzzled look flattened. He truthfully had never questioned Merlin's absences.

"And I would certainly hope you don't me so lazy as to just wander off with no notice for the sake of skipping work for a few days."

Arthur's mind continued in its befuddlement. _Merlin did disappear oddly, didn't he?_

"What's it, then, Merlin, got yourself a girl, finally?" Arthur supplied, not really sure where else this could be going. Not that that idea was terribly brilliant in itself, Merlin couldn't have simply been going off to picnic with his sweetheart every time he disappeared mysteriously over the past… what was it now? A near decade? _Good grief, we're getting old, _he thought.

"No, Arthur, I'm not seeing anyone," Merlin continued with a knowing grin.

"Well where do you go then?" Arthur queried, his curiosity superseding their general agenda of friendly banter.

"That, my friend, is a story for another day," he replied, with that almost cocky smile gracing his features once more.

Arthur, of course, persisted to goad his friend for some time, with Merlin's cool attitude (and threat to pour a sleeping tonic in his king's wine at the upcoming feast) eventually succeeded in getting the king to drop the subject- not that it lasted for long.

~ o ~

"RISE AND SHINE YOU ROYAL PRAT!" Merlin woke the king later that week.

"AGH! Merlin!" The king shouted while simultaneously ducking his head under a pillow, pulling up the covers, and throwing a goblet with surprising accuracy towards a certain warlock- given he wasn't even looking. (It was a decently impressive display of multi-tasking, really; or, at least, it would have been, if it hadn't been of standard practice at least three or four days of the week.)

After waking up and taking a seat at the table, the king managed a coherent thought.

"So what do you do on your escapades, Merlin?"

Merlin sighed, but with a small smile, answered, "That is a story for another day." _As I've told you each day so far this week,_ he added mentally. Truthfully, though, he didn't mind. One of these days would be just the right day, after all.

~ o ~

And so a new routine of sorts was formed, each morning following the wake-up call, Arthur would ask Merlin about the mysterious un-truth regarding his escapades, which seemed to be lacking throughout the most recent year. _It's been a time of peace for Camelot, for all of Albion, really,_ the king thought with a smile.

There was, however, one day, about eight months in the future, that this question was skipped. It was reasonable to understand, though, as the king was a bit too anxious for banter this one particular morning.

"I never thought I'd be going through this ceremony twice, Merlin," he confided.

"Perhaps not, but I'm not surprised in the least," his friend replied.

Arthur laughed a bit, "Of course you're not, Merlin." He'd realized a while ago that Merlin generally had a habit of knowing what was going on with whom far before the rest of them did.

"Seriously, though," Merlin continued, "You were born for this, Arthur. And besides, this time you'll have Gwen at your side. And I think this will be surrounded by much happier circumstances, don't you?" He grinned.

_Happier, indeed,_ he thought, still too anxious for much conversation, despite his closest friend's reassurance. He knew that Merlin wasn't just referring to the fact that he and Gwen were expecting their first child in another few months, a life rather than a death accompanying this change in status. "I feel like this is the start of a great new era, Merlin."

"And I couldn't agree more," a sweet voice echoed Merlin's thoughts from the doorway.

"Guinevere," Arthur said, walking towards her and planting a kiss on her cheek before continuing. "Are you ready for the ceremony, love?"

"I suppose I have to be, don't I?" She smiled prettily. "This is going to be a great day."

"Well, it will be as soon as we get you two to the throne room and through this ceremony," Merlin interrupted from the back. "It's not every day that the monarchs of the surrounding kingdoms all swear loyalty to you… perhaps we don't want to keep them waiting anymore?" He continued with a grin.

Arthur laughed, expelling some of the nerves. "I suppose we probably shouldn't. My lady," he said, offering Gwen his arm.

She took it happily and they made it to the throne room, Merlin a step behind till, just before they entered, he slipped away and entered the hall through the servants' door, merging with the crowd, but in a place allowing for a perfect view of the front.

Preceding the entrance of his two favorite monarchs, were the entrances of all the other rulers of the area, each with a heartfelt glow about them, each person in the room feeling the significance of what was going to happen today.

The people cheered as King Arthur and Queen Guinevere came through the room, walking down the long runner arm in arm, to their thrones at the front. In ceremonious fashion, moved forward by Geoffery, each ruler knelt low before the two royals, and as each stood, their vow of loyalty and honor given, the rulers of Camelot were officially crowned High King Arthur and High Queen Guinevere over all of Albion- the five nations finally joined together for an era of peace and prosperity. Needless to say, the cheers were even louder following this pronouncement.

There was one more act to be done before the feasts commenced, though. And as the High King and Queen walked out to the balcony, ready for a royal pronouncement of great magnitude, Arthur's heart felt lighter, with a joy and peace that can only come when one is certain they have done the right thing, and toiled to do so.

And it was now, with Merlin beaming just out of sight behind him, the visiting monarchs on the smaller balconies to the side, and a crowd of joyful people-diverse but unified people-in front of him, that the king began his short, but most remembered, speech.

"My people!" He called out to them. "Today we see the fruits of what all of the nations of Albion have toiled over for so many generations- we see peace! Among you we already see a growing diversity of people, knowing the truthfulness of the rumors which brought you here. Two years ago we began searching for the truth behind a force long written off as a dark art, and discovered its true capabilities. Like a sword, we see now how it is used with equal ability to serve and protect, as it has been seen to wreak havoc. And no more shall we have our laws stating otherwise! Some eight months ago we reached a stepping stone, building off the peace the druids maintain in welcoming them back to our kingdoms, and today we take that final step on to the bank of freedom. As of today, throughout all of Albion, magic-wielders are free! They will not be persecuted for their gifts, but for the actions taken with them! Let us, with this idea of acceptance in our hearts, usher in a new era of peace this day, for all of Albion!"

The last few lines may have been drowned out by the cheering crowd-a crowd full of those people who had been clinging to the rumors of peace and freedom for years now-but nothing could drown out the positively glowing look on the royals' faces. Nor could anything dampen the smile of the king's closest friend- but he was not in the open nearly so much.

~ o ~

The feasting commenced then, and continued on well past midnight. Indeed, many of the people, those in the castle and out, did not end their celebrations till the faintest steaks of the false-dawn entered the sky; almost all happily planning to sleep-in, the city on a self-proclaimed holiday that would last for days intermittently, though the smiling never ceased.

It was the following morning that happened to be the second time Arthur forgot to ask Merlin about his lie from days past, but this day it did not stay forgotten too long.

Arthur and Merlin, the former's mind still swarming from the day before, the latter's swarming for thoughts ahead, rode out of the city for a day's hunt in the woods- though they never did end up hunting for anything.

"You know- you've messed up your streak, Arthur," Merlin began.

"My streak?" he queried.

"Yes, your streak. You've failed to ask me about my not-tavern visits for the past two mornings now."

"Well," he started, as they dismounted from their horses beside a favorite spot on the woodland creek, "I suppose I'll ask you for the sake of asking, what were you doing all those times you disappeared? And while we're at it, you've been in an exceptionally good mood this past week. I mean, honestly, I think you've surpassed Gwen and I, probably the populace, too… combined!" he tacked on for good measure.

Merlin laughed a bit. True, Merlin had been in an amazing mood of late, but why not? His friend was fulfilling destiny, and he was free at last. Free for magic, and free for honesty.

"Now I suppose," Arthur continued, "That you will tell me once more that it's 'A story for another day'?" Arthur guessed, one eyebrow crooked at his friend.

"No," Merlin stated, with a happy, joyful grin, easily wide enough that it should have rightfully split his face. "No, Arthur, I believe that today is the perfect day to tell that story."

And, turning to face his best friend,

He did.

- ~ o ~ -

Woah! A second story! I really hope you liked it This was completely spur-of-the-moment, so I'm not sure how great this flows- I had the thing bouncing around rather loudly in my head the entire time, perhaps a bit too loudly to worry about things like grammar and continuity :/ Comments and critiques much appreciated!

**A second (and maybe third) chapter will be forthcoming for this fic, AND a companion piece of-sorts can be found in my just-posted fic, "Not To Blame."**

**I thank you all for reading and I hope your life is fabulous**

**Lots of love, and God bless *heart***

PS- Like I said, I knew when I was writing this what it was leading up to, and so I'm not sure if a large portion of this was overly annoying for you readers who didn't. Responses and thoughts on that account would be doubly appreciated.

Ack! And one more note (sorry, this is getting lengthy,) but I have a lot more ideas posted up on my profile that I don't really have plans for writing, and I'd love for you all to check them out and maybe adopt one or two. Send me a PM if you do, or want more ideas or a sounding board for your own! Happy writing!


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